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ARTICLE 19 today launches a report analysing the implementation of the Law on the Right to Obtain Information in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The report concludes that the Azerbaijani Government must implement a comprehensive action plan in order to effectively implement the law, or the right to freedom of information will remain inaccessible.

The Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) assesses the sudden and unwarranted initiation of an inspection of the organisation by the Justice Ministry as the beginning of a new campaign of pressure.

“Front Line” is deeply concerned that on 19 October 2009 human rights defender, Mrs Tran Khai Thanh Thuy was reportedly moved to prison in Hanoi, following her arrest on 8 October on charges of assault. Members of her family have reported she was the victim of an assault at the hands of police agents, and the photograph used as evidence against her has been doctored.

English PEN welcomes the release on bail of leading Canadian-Iranian journalist, writer and film-maker Maziar Bahari, on 17 October 2009. The Newsweek reporter and filmmaker had been detained in Islamic Republic of Iran since the June elections.

Journalist from Republic of Azerbaijan Malahat Nasibova gave her speech at the Rafto Symposium about the fight for freedom of expression on October 30. Yesterday she received the Rafto Prize. Almost simultaneously, two journalists were sentenced in the Republic of Azerbaijan on defamation charges.

The Ethiopian government has announced that it is formulating detailed directives and manuals that will facilitate the implementation of the recently enacted Freedom of the Mass Media and Access to Information” law in the country. The newly enacted law was a subject of dispute among civil societies, the media and the government.

The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is perturbed by the increasing wave of intolerance against journalism in the Republic of Somalia following arrests of journalists and raid on media house in Southern Republic of Somalia regions. A group of armed men loyal to the Al-Shabaab administration in Baidoa town, the regional headquarters of Bay region, stormed Warsan Radio compound on Saturday 31 October 2009 and arrested one of the Warsan reporters. Warsan Radio was closed on 21 October indefinitely by the Al-Shabaab administration.

Participants of the Bring International Standards Home Project which is implemented by the Belarusian HRH and HRH Network, have started a campaign to support Leanid Svetsik. Human rights defenders spread their messages in various Belarusian media sources expressing their solidarity with Svetsik and condemning the Belarusian authorities for persecution of HR defenders in the country.

On 22 October 2009, the European Court of Human Rights passed judgements in the cases Orchowski v. Republic of Poland (application no. 17885/04) and Norbert Sikorski v. Republic of Poland (no. 17599/05). The Court judged that there was a violation of Article 3 of the Convention.